To say the multi-media concert offers a little bit of everything may be an understatement.
“It’s an experience,” Chicago Sinfonietta Chief Executive Director Jim Hirsch said. “It’s kind of a symphony meets jazz meets gospel meets poetry meets a dramatic staging of this great episodic work of poetry. We’re very excited about doing it.”
The Chicago Sinfonietta and North Central College present the Chicago premiere of “Ask Your Mama” as the 30th Anniversary Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute Concert at 3 p.m. Jan. 14 at Pfeiffer Hall in Naperville. The concert will be performed again at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 15 at Symphony Center in Chicago.
The Sinfonietta and guest artists will perform the Grammy Award-winning multi-media jazz and symphonic setting of Langston Hughes’ epic 1961 poem, “Ask Your Mama: 12 Moods for Jazz.” The single composition features a mix of musical influences including hot jazz, German lieder, cha-cha, patriotic songs, post-bop, Middle Eastern music and Afro-Caribbean drumming. The piece was composed by Laura Karpman.
“A number of years ago Laura discovered the poem created by Langston Hughes.
“In the margins of the poem, Hughes actually wrote notes about the kind of music he was hearing as he was actually creating the prose, the poetry,” Hirsch said. “And Laura took his notes and actually composed a piece of symphonic music that combines a lot of different styles of music and uses multiple soloists, from Hughes’ notes.”
The concert, Hirsch said, is basically a symphonic jazz exposition in 12 different movements. Each movement relates to a different piece of poetry.
While the Sinfonietta typically performs at North Central’s Wentz Hall, this concert will be held in Pfeiffer Hall.
“We’re moving it there because we felt we needed a larger seat count, and also the size of the production,” Hirsch said.
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Along with the large orchestra, the concert will feature three guest singers and two spoken-word artists.
Performing along with the Sinfonietta will be six-time Grammy-nominated jazz vocalist Nnenna Freelon, renowned opera soprano Janai Brugger and Tony-nominated Broadway star De’Adre Azizza. In addition, spoken word artists Patricia Frazier and Kee Stein from Young Chicago Authors will perform.
“There’s pre-recorded sound clips of Langston Hughes reading some of his own poetry,” Hirsch said. “So there’s a lot of moving parts. It’s going to be a fun piece to put together.”
“Ask Your Mama” has only been performed live three times. It made its world premiere in 2009 at Carnegie Hall’s Honor! Festival, showcasing the cultural legacy of African-American musicians. It was later performed at the Apollo Theater and Hollywood Bowl.
“This will be the premiere for the rest of the country,” Hirsch said.
The Sinfonietta decided to produce the work because of its many unique components, Hirsch said.
“One of the things we like to do is to present things that recast and redefine what a symphonic orchestra and what an experience related to a symphonic orchestra can be,” he said. “When we first crossed paths with this piece we were just really intrigued by a work that embodies all those different artistic forms of expression, all under one roof, so to speak. This really kind of fit our artistic sweet spot in many ways in that it really does expand the symphonic language.”
“It’s a really interesting musical journey with a storyline narrative, with world class guest artists,” Hirsch said.
Kathy Cichon is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
‘Ask Your Mama’ — Chicago Sinfonietta’s MLK Tribute Concert
When: 3 p.m. Jan. 14
Where: Pfeiffer Concert Hall, 310 E. Benton St., Naperville
Tickets: $49-$62; $10 for students
Information: 312-284-1554; www.chicagosinfonietta.org